LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday expressed concern over the spending from the public exchequer on advertisement campaigns of development projects featuring the image of Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Justice Sultan Tanvir Ahmad observed that the money collected as taxes from the public should not be misused.

A citizen, Hafiz Israrul Haq, filed a writ petition challenging the actions taken to promote the caretaker chief minister on the construction of flyovers in the city.

The judge declared that those who promoted themselves with the public money would be held accountable.

The judge summoned a complete record of the expenses incurred for an advertisement campaign of the construction of flyovers featuring the caretaker chief minister.

The judge also directed the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to present a complete record of the construction of the flyovers by the next hearing.

It merits mentioning that then chief justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar had in 2018 taken a suo motu notice against the media advertisements of the provincial government showing pictures of then chief minister Shehbaz Sharif ahead of the general elections in the country.

Later, the provincial information secretary had told the court that then chief minister Shehbaz volunteered to pay Rs5.5 million from his pocket, earlier paid to television channels for broadcasting of the advertisement.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2023